Travel: Indulge in Saratoga Springs

Lisa Elia More Content Now

Thursday

Sep 12, 2019 at 11:51 AMSep 13, 2019 at 8:30 PM

Saratoga Springs, New York, has long been a popular summer resort for the city swells who love thoroughbred racing, but you don’t have to be a gambler or wealthy to enjoy this getaway at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains.

About 200 miles north of New York City, this spa town has museums to explore, fun places to shop and eat (the potato chip and club sandwich were discovered here), and some eye-catching architecture to admire.

Enjoy the springsThe waters of Saratoga have been a draw since the Iroquois discovered their healing powers in the 1600s. As word spread about the springs, everyone from George Washington to Edgar Allan Poe to the Vanderbilts and Whitneys has enjoyed the naturally carbonated water.

Congress Park, in the heart of downtown, is one of many places where you can sample the waters that made Saratoga famous.

“They all have a different taste,” said Heather McElhiney, director of the Saratoga Springs Visitors Center. “Some have a higher sulfur or iron content. Some are very mild, and some you can smell before you get there.”

The park also features picnic spots, a 109-year-old working wooden carousel and the onetime Canfield Casino, an 1870s building that is home to the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

If you want to do more than drink the waters, visit the 1930s-era Roosevelt Baths & Spa at Saratoga Springs Spa Park. You can book a session at the town’s last remaining bathhouse in one of 42 private rooms. Guests can sink into an antique tub brimming with bubbly water (tap water is added to bring it to room temperature).

Museums and moreA walk down most of Saratoga’s streets will yield an array of dazzling architecture. The town’s east side features the grandest homes of the Gilded Age, with styles ranging from Victorian to Queen Anne to Italianate.

The downtown business district is a diverse collection of locally owned shops (with only a few chain stores), restaurants and bars.

If you love music, check out Caffe Lena. It is the country’s oldest continuously operating folk music venue, started in 1960. Legends such as Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie and Emmylou Harris got their starts here.

The museum scene is just as vibrant as the rest of the town.

The National Museum of Dance, at the Saratoga Springs Spa Park, features costumes and objects from dance productions, including 20 pairs of Tommy Tune’s shoes.

If speed is more your style, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, housed in a former bottling plant, has a 1960-era car exhibit. Its 1967 gold metallic Toyota GT supercar was owned by the model Twiggy. Another display features classic cars such as Charles Lindbergh’s 1928 Franklin Airman.

Those who love off-the-beaten path places can visit the Yaddo Gardens. Modeled after classic Italian gardens, the artists colony retreat features fountains, marble statues and about 1,500 roses in bloom through mid-October.